Telangana denies KCR hat-trick
Shubhadeep Choudhury
New Delhi, December 3
The Congress, which till this morning was hoping to retain Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and register a win in Madhya Pradesh, has now lost to the BJP in all three. The only silver lining is Telangana, where the party is set to form the government for the first time.
EC Suspends DGP
- The EC on Sunday ordered the suspension of Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar for violation of the model code of conduct amid the counting of votes, sources said.
- The DGP, along with two senior cops, met the state Congress chief and a candidate with a bouquet of flowers at his residence
Besides anti-incumbency against the nearly decade-old Bharat Rashtra Samithi government led by K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) and other factors that helped the grand old party in the state to secure victory included the impact of Congress’ win in the Assembly elections in neighbouring Karnataka, where it has secured 135 of the 224 seats.
Appointment of Revanth Reddy, former Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party MLA, as state Congress president in 2021 also served the party’s interest well. Reddy was visible on the ground, leading street protests on a host of issues against the ruling BRS government.
The Congress leadership backed Reddy to the hilt, despite voices of protests from his rivals within the party. Reddy has been projected as a big stage leader, addressing rallies and constantly seen alongside the party’s national faces.
The Congress took advantage of the anti-incumbency surrounding K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his government and bagged a bulk of the votes in rural and semi-urban areas — both traditional strongholds of the BRS.
